Imagine an ordinary school day, when suddenly, the principal appears at the classroom door. Curious, the students watch as their teacher and the principal engage in a hushed conversation. Finally, the principal leaves, and the teacher turns to the class. “Students, I’m afraid I have some
For decades, educators and industry leaders have been strategizing about how best to prepare students for the complex challenges of a rapidly changing world. And almost overnight, this theoretical future has become a reality. Rapid change and complex challenges have been daily events in the
Educators are worn out. We feel overwhelmed. We doubt our effectiveness. We question our purpose. And amid our self-doubt and anxiety about the state of education, we are bombarded with admonitions to silence our negative emotions, deny our anguish, and at least pretend that everything
Consider this four-part collaborative inquiry process to guide our new normal. We have seen a significant strain on the education system. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has surfaced a wide-range of student needs requiring social-emotional supports, innovative approaches for student engagement and more impactful strategies
When we come into classrooms with curiosity, our minds are open to possibility. You probably already know this, but your classroom walkthroughs and formal observations are not working as you might hope. Yes, they can be effective in evaluating your overall schoolwide literacy initiative. However, checklists
Back in the day before microwaves, iPhones, and Wordle there were the “Three Rs.” I was taught that a “sound” education comprised of these “Three Rs” which were: ● Reading, ● Writing, ● And Arithmetic. Now, I’m not arguing that those “Three Rs” aren’t important or relevant anymore. I am arguing
Almost one year ago, a short article titled “Beyond coronavirus – the path to the next normal in education” was published by Corwin Press (Westover, 2020) which provided guidance for district and school leaders to navigate the imminent uncertainty and chaos of the global pandemic. Oddly enough, the predicted changes caused by the coronavirus unfolded over the course
Listen to Randy Weiner and James Bailey discuss how to lead SEL by modeling it on the Leaders Coaching Leaders podcast with Peter DeWitt: Recent research on the principalship (Grissonm et al., 2021) shows the experience level of principals since 2016 has decreased from an average of
Rigorous, sustained and job-embedded professional learning for teachers is critical; the research is clear that a rise in student outcomes is not possible without an investment in our teachers. But on the ground, enhancing teacher practice is hard. School terms move at a frenetic pace,
At Corwin, we all share a deep horror and justifiable anger over the recent brutality in Minneapolis—and every bit as significant, the recognition that such brutality is not limited to Minneapolis but the product of a systemic failure across our nation. The brutal killings of